Aircraft incorporate control surfaces to provide roll, pitch and yaw control, as well as high lift devices such as flaps. Present control surfaces are rigid panels that are pivoted out of the surrounding moldline of the aircraft to create the control moment. These control surfaces have gaps that result in aerodynamic spillage, that reduce the effectiveness of the control surface. Present control surfaces are particularly ineffective in tailless aircraft designs. Tailless designs provide increased aerodynamic efficiency and agility. However, to provide adequate yaw control thrust-vectoring engine nozzles are required. Thrust-vectoring nozzles are expensive and heavy.
Thus there exists a need for a control surface that does not have aerodynamic spillage and can replace heavy, expensive thrust-vectoring nozzles on tailless aircraft designs.